Lottery games have been a staple of public play and funding for decades, if not for hundreds of years in the US.
These activities give people a chance to entertain the fantasy of winning a substantial sum of money on any given day. In fact, many of them actually win some cash prizes. What’s more beneficial, a portion of lottery ticket sales is reinvested in the community to help fund educational programs, infrastructure and other public services.
First things first: You need to know which type of lottery you want to play.
This is an important distinction because there are both standalone state lotteries and joint-state lotteries. The latter incorporates two or more states into ticket sales and prizes.
In a standalone ticket sale, your purchase will see a portion of it invested back into your community while, in contrast, joint-state lotteries will split that revenue among the participating states.
Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries are the two most well-known examples of joint-state lotteries.
Joint-state lottery games online
While Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries are the two most prominent examples of joint-state lotteries, other arrangements between smaller groups of states can be played by residents of participating regions.
Often, these tickets can be purchased online, from the convenience of home or a mobile device.
Lucky For Life is another such joint-state lottery. It is composed of more than 20 states and districts, including:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Wyoming
Keep in mind, online lottery ticket sales are not available in all the listed participating regions. Check your state’s lottery website to see if it allows online ticket purchases of Lucky For Life.
Online lottery ticket sales, state by state
While traditional retail lotteries are available in nearly every state, few provide online lottery ticket sales and games to residents. Here’s a list of the states where you can currently purchase lottery tickets online as well as play games of skill and chance.
Georgia’s online lottery tickets
The Georgia Lottery allows state residents to purchase draw game tickets, including keno, Fantasy 5, Mega Millions and Powerball online and through mobile devices.
A collection of Diggi Games, such as scratch-off cards and other instant-win features, are also available for online and mobile play.
All one needs to do to participate is to create a Player’s Club account and upgrade to the appropriate level for online play and purchasing. The GA Lottery also features a free app for easy interaction play of draw and Diggi Games.
Players can even have their winnings deposited directly into an account linked with their Georgia online lottery profile.
Illinois online lottery tickets
For Illinois residents, they can take advantage of the Lincoln State’s online lottery with ticket purchasing and play within browsers and native apps.
The state allows residents to participate in several draw games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Pick Three, Pick Four and subscription lottery games.
Players must register with the Illinois online lottery by creating a free account to verify their eligibility. It accepts debit and credit card payments.
Kentucky online lottery tickets
Jackpot and daily draw games, as well as instant win features, are available for purchase on the Kentucky online lottery website. There are draw games available, which include Cash Ball 225, Lucky For Life, keno, Powerball and Mega Millions.
When it comes to instant games, there are dozens of options. Players will need to verify their eligibility to play. Players can create a free account and play games within a browser or through the state lottery’s app available for Android and iOS devices.
Michigan online lottery tickets
Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto 47, Fantasy 5, keno and more than 50 instant games are available to Michigan residents interested in online ticket purchasing and play.
These tickets and games are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Michigan online lottery even offers a demo version of instant games so players can try them before committing to a real-money purchase.
Participants must be 18 years of age, US citizens and residents of the state of Michigan. The state lottery verifies this information through an account creation procedure, which requires the last four digits of the player’s Social Security number.
NH online lottery tickets
The New Hampshire iLottery allows residents to purchase draw tickets online and play instant-win games within online browsers or mobile devices.
Online draw games currently only cover Powerball and Mega Millions ticket purchases, while several dozen instant-win games are available. Scratch-off tickets and another half-dozen draw games are available in retail locations only.
NC online lottery tickets
The North Carolina Educational Lottery allows players who reside within the state to participate in four draw games online, providing they have an up-to-date account.
NC Lottery games include Carolina Cash 5, Lucky For Life, Mega Millions and Powerball. Single ticket purchases and lottery subscriptions up to 52 weeks in duration are available.
North Dakota online lottery tickets
Currently, all North Dakota lottery games are eligible for players to purchase tickets online through the Pick and Click program.
These games include Powerball, Lucky For Life, Mega Millions, Lotto America and 2by2. Players will need to make purchases using a credit card after verifying their eligibility for play. This process requires players to enter the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Mobile users can download the North Dakota Lottery’s Player’s Club app on their devices.
Pennsylvania online lottery tickets
In the Keystone State, lottery tickets are not yet available for purchase online.
However, instant games are available online and on mobile devices. There are dozens of cleverly designed games that offer substantial prizes. Players can participate for free before committing to a purchase. Games can be played in-browser or by using the official PA iLottery mobile application.
Virginia online lottery tickets
Residents of Virginia can purchase tickets to Powerball, Mega Millions and Cash For Life draw games online.
The caveat is that players must buy a subscription to these draw games with an active “MyGameRoom” account through the VA Lottery. Requirements include a minimum deposit of $20 and a verification of eligibility.
Online lottery ticket concierge services
For those who live outside of these aforementioned jurisdictions, there is still one way to get online lottery tickets.
Online lottery ticket concierge services are a workaround that let people purchase online lottery tickets from anywhere. They are considered legal means of procuring lottery tickets online because they act as a messenger service, rather than a lotto ticket retailer.
To use them, simply select the draw game you wish to play, the numbers you want to be assigned to the ticket, and then pay for it in the checkout process. The service will then buy the ticket on your behalf, according to the specified details of the order.
